Governance and policy

Evidence-based recommendations can help improve policies and institutions for governance of natural resources. WLE is working to transform its evidence base into actionable, clear recommendations that will improve the sustainability and equity of natural resources management globally. And our evidence and solutions have fed into government policies around the world.

Natural resources governance

The key to sustainable development may be equitable governance of natural resources, including land and water. WLE provides insights into how governance structures can be improved, to the benefits of both farmers and the environment.

Hidden from the eye beneath the Earth's surface in soil pore spaces and in fractures of rock formations, groundwater supports global food security, contributes to public health, and is a critical factor in economic growth.

Irrigated agriculture can contribute to lasting deterioration of groundwater quality, preventing its use for drinking and endangering ecosystems and bio-diversity. If we're going to get global agriculture right, we'll need to promote good groundwater governance.

One cannot talk about water security in Asia without addressing the water energy food nexus. But if the links between water, food and energy are so strong, why are decision makers having such a difficult time addressing them together?

Decision support for policy making

With growing variability and uncertainty across all sectors, making wise development and investment decisions is becoming increasingly difficult. WLE is developing new decision-support tools and approaches to increase the chance of making decisions that result in positive outcomes.

The application of alternative modeling approaches, such as decision analysis approaches being piloted by WLE researchers, could be expanded to help bridge the social and biological strengths of the IUCN to help promote both conservation and livelihoods.

Translating research-derived technologies into impact on the ground can be a challenge. Especially when technologies come from on-station trials or small pilot areas, it is often unclear how they will perform under ‘real-world’ farm conditions.

As part of WLE's partnership with The Economist Events' Sustainability Summit, scientists from the World Agroforestry Centre explore how sustainability can be evaluated to improve decisions in development and business.

Transboundary governance

The challenge of governing water resources is compounded when river basins or watersheds stretch across national borders, with multiple countries having different, and sometimes competing, interests. WLE is working with stakeholders to find better ways to govern transboundary water resources, including through inclusive, participatory approaches.

CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE). 2018. River deltas: scaling up community-driven approaches to sustainable intensification. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE).. 12p. (Towards Sustainable Intensification: Insights and Solutions Brief 7) doi: 10.5337/2018.206

The Indus Basin is a system that supports a great number of people within and beyond its borders, but it is a system under considerable biophysical, social, economic and political stress. Planning for the future of this ever-changing, over-stretched system requires an open dialogue between scientists and policy makers.

China has agreed to increase the outflow of water from the Jinghong Hydropower Station to the Mekong River to cope with drought and salt intrusion in the lower basin. What are the implications, and how do we make this kind of trans-boundary water sharing sustainable?

At the CSA Investment Advantage event, part of the larger Agriculture Advantage 2.0 event series at COP24, WLE/IWMI and others discussed ways to identify best-bet CSA technologies and practices for investment.

The Policy Advantage event, part of the larger Agriculture Advantage 2.0 event series at COP24, brought together WLE/IWMI and other diverse perspectives on the policy change needed for food systems transformation.

Merrey, D. J.; Lefore, Nicole. 2018. How to support effective and inclusive irrigation water users’ associations: a guide for practitioners. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE).. 16p. (WLE Research for Development (R4D) Learning Series 9) doi: 10.5337/2018.227

Menghoin, H. 2018. Coping with Changes in access to biodiversity and natural resources along the Mekong mainstream and tributaries. Water Knowledge #5. Vientiane, Lao PDR, CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems

Climate change has a direct impact on Guatemalan small-scale farmers, leading to loss of crops, increased malnutrition and migration flows. Public institutions are critical to improving climate change adaptation strategies, but an agrarian-systems diagnosis carried out by SIC4Change in the Guatemalan dry corridor found some shortcomings with the approach taken by the rural extension services – and suggested some ways these could be corrected.